Canada shrugs off controversy and advances to gold medal game vs. Britain in Olympic men's curling

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CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — After a rocky two weeks of Olympic curling that included accusations of cheating and a profanity-laced rant, the Canadian men will play for the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.

Canada beat Norway 5-4 in Thursday night's semifinals after losing to the Norwegians earlier in the day.

The Canadians were the subject of a controversy that got attention far beyond the ice when several players were accused of double-touching the rock, a rules violation.

Canada's opponent in Saturday's gold medal game will be Britain, which stunned Switzerland 8-5. The Swiss were undefeated entering the semifinals.

Norway will play Switzerland for the bronze medal Friday.

The sport was sent into turmoil last week when Oskar Eriksson of Sweden accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of breaking the rules by touching the rock again after initially releasing it down the sheet of ice. Kennedy responded with an outburst full of expletives.

Several other accusations of double-touching followed, and Canada lost its next match against Switzerland before steadying itself to reach the semifinals.

Against Norway, Canada led 3-1 after the sixth end. Norway tightened the score with a single in the eighth. Canada went ahead 4-2 in the ninth.

Norway had the hammer in the tenth end. After a shot by Brad Jacobs that left a Norway stone on the edge of the house, Norway pulled a double, tying the match at 4-4 and pushing it into an extra end.

But Norway missed its final shot of the extra end to send the elated Canadians to the final. They are seeking their first gold in men's curling since the 2014 Sochi Games, where Britain was also their opponent in the final.

Knowing that Canada is guaranteed a medal is a “pretty incredible feeling,” Kennedy said.

“We got a couple of old guys (on the team), so we’re gonna rest” before Saturday's match, he added. “That’s going to be a good battle.”

Brad Jacobs said his 11-year-old daughter and other family members were in tears in the stands.

“To give them even one more game to cheer for means everything to all of us,” he said.

Switzerland was in control for a good portion of its match against Britain.

The Brits scored two in the eighth end to take a 6-5 lead, their first of the match, and Switzerland was blanked in the ninth. Britain scored two more in the 10th to complete the stunner.

“GB into the finals with a record of 6-4 and Switzerland out with a record of 9-1. The Olympics are a cruel, cruel mistress,” curling commentator John Cullen posted on X.

Britain took silver in the 2022 Beijing Games, losing to Sweden in the final.

“It’s been a wee up and down,” skip Bruce Mouat said of this tournament. “But we play well when it matters.”

He got emotional when he saw his family and friends cheering for him, but shedding tears is not his style.

“I don’t think I have tear ducts,” the Edinburgh native said.

Neither, apparently, did a woman in the British fan section who spent much of the game knitting.

The United States secured its place in the women's semifinals by beating Switzerland 7-6 in a match that went to an extra end.

The Americans will face the Swiss again and Sweden will play Canada in Friday's semifinals.

Switzerland tied it at 6-6 with three points in the 10th end. The U.S. had the hammer in the extra end.

Looking nervous, skip Tabitha Peterson threw the decisive rock and her teammates swept it into position, just a hair closer to the button than the Swiss' nearest stone.

Her sister and teammate, Tara Peterson, was in tears after she saw her young son, Eddie, beaming at her from the stands. Asked if he was aware of what had just transpired, she laughed and said, “Absolutely not.”

Tara Peterson said contained her emotions during the match, only for them to come pouring out.

“You can’t start getting emotional before you can start getting emotional,” she said.

The sisters both gave birth in 2024 and have since balanced motherhood with training and their jobs. Tara is a dentist, Tabitha a pharmacist.

“All the hard work we put in,” Tara Peterson said. “Tab and I having babies — just all the village behind us that helped us get here — just makes it all worth it.”

American Cory Thiesse will be seeking her second medal of these Games after she won silver in mixed doubles with Korey Dropkin. The energetic Dropkin was cheering on Thiesse from the bleachers.

“I saw him back in the village yesterday. I said, ‘You got to keep drinking tea because we need you to keep your voice. You can keep cheering,’” said Thiesse, who works as a lab technician.

Canada, led by Rachel Homan, completed a remarkable rally after the Canadians began the round robin by losing three of their first four games.

The Canadians beat South Korea 10-7 to reach the semifinals, and the normally stoic Homan raised her broom in triumph and ran to hug her teammates as they were cheered by crowds waving the maple leaf flag.

“We knew our game, we knew our training. We had belief in each other and just tried to stick with the process,” Homan said. “It’s a tough field. Everyone’s gunning for you, and you have to bring your best every single time or it’s gonna be a loss.”

Sweden has the best record entering the semifinals at 7-2, with losses to South Korea and Canada. Switzerland, the U.S. and Canada are 6-3.

The women's bronze medal game is Saturday, and the gold medal game is Sunday.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics